Hawala, smuggling, illegal SIMs: KP apex body decides to take effective steps

PESHAWAR: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decided on Monday to take concrete measures for the effective prevention of illegal activities that are helpful in promoting terrorism including illegal mobile SIMs, explosives, extortion, Hundi-hawala, illegal arms, smuggling, fake documents, drugs trafficking etc.

The decision was taken a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee was held here with the caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan in the chair.

Important matters related to the implementation of National Action Plan under the umbrella of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Security Architecture (KPISA) came under discussion with special focus on illegal spectrum.

The forum directed that relevant federal and provincial entities and intelligence agencies would make joint and coordinated efforts to effectively deal with the issue of illegal spectrums.

Caretaker provincial minister for finance, Ahmed Rasool Bangash, Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Hassan Azhar Hayat, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and other civil and military high ups attended the meeting.

It was also decided in the meeting to take stern actions against those civil servants found involved in facilitating such illegal activities. The forum directed the concerned quarters to take steps for collecting data of Afghan refugees illegally living in the province besides mapping their properties/businesses.

Similarly, the meeting discussed in detail matters related to the registration of Madaris and non custom paid vehicles and made important decisions to this effect.

The forum termed the use of social media for defaming the state institutions as an intolerable act deciding that strict action would be taken against those involved in such activities. Reiterating the commitment to effectively deal with the elements involved in extortion, the forum decided to set up a special unit under the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) for the purpose.

Participants of the forum were briefed about the progress so far made by Provincial Security Secretariat with regard to the implementation of the National Action Plan.

The forum expressed satisfaction over the progress and underlined the need to have integrated efforts by the relevant federal and provincial agencies for further improvement.

The forum also urged upon the need of effective and close coordination between the Provincial Apex Committee and the district level committees for effective implementation of the decision taken by the Apex committee.

The forum appreciated the actions being taken against the elements involved in Hundi Hawala and urged upon the need to make the relevant laws more stringent, and making banking transactions easier so that people would prefer banking transactions instead of illegal means of Hundi hawala.

Issues related to the federal agencies to curb the menace of illegal spectrums would be taken up with the caretaker Prime Minister, and the PM would be requested for a special meeting to this effect, the forum decided.

It was further decided to establish joint check posts and improve the boarder management system in order to effectively control smuggling of various items. The forum also decided to have a vigilant eye on the supply of narcotics in educational institutions further deciding that crack down would be carried out against the big fishes involved in drugs manufacturing and supply.

Addressing the participants, the chief minister directed the concerned quarters for putting in place an effective mechanism of follow-up in order to ensure implementation of the decisions taken in the meetings of the Apex Committee.

He said that defaming state institutions on social media platforms was an intolerable act, and directed that strict actions should be taken against the elements involved in such anti-state activities.

Expressing his concerns on the increasing trend of using drugs in the province especially in youth, the chief minister stressed the need of serious approach to effectively deal with the menace.

He also directed the Counter Terrorism Department to have special attention to actions against extortionists in the province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023